Measuring changing shopping habits and inflation
As students learn about the impact of external economic influences such as inflation, it might be helpful to look at the changes the Office of National Statistics have just made to the way in which they calculate the average level of inflation for the UK. Each year they review the so-called ‘typical basket of goods’ that is bought by households, so that they can measure changes in the price of those goods over the coming year. This enables them to make sure that the prices they are monitoring are for the goods which are most relevant to the average household in the UK – the aim is to update the basket to reflect changes in our pattern of spending.
•Economic Environment - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS4 -
Tags: inflation, prices, consumer price index, family expenditure survey, office for national statistics
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Wipeout Challenge - UK Recession
Here is a new version of Wipeout challenge. This time the task is for students to identify the businesses that entered administration during 2008-2009. A nice little lesson starter. The follow-up could be to discuss why the businesses that did go bust failed..and what happened to them since (not all disappeared altogether)
UK_Recession_Wipeout_Challenge.ppt
•Economic Environment - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Starters & Plenaries -
Tags: recession, insolvency, starter, administration
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Motivation and management at John Lewis
These news reports about the 10% rise in profits at John Lewis are valuable for students preparing for AQA BUSS 4, as they give plenty of material about how the group turned poor half year results into splendid full year profits in the midst of the recession and decline in high street spending. The report in the Guardian is particularly interesting as it examines the advantages brought by the unusual corporate structure, and the quality of management of the company which it concludes isn’t the best-run in Britain. While the article in Management Today compares the profits with those of Morrisons, and contrasts the growth strategies of the two businesses.
They are equally valuable for those preparing for the AS unit 2 papers, as they examine the way in which John Lewis uses profit sharing as a means of financial motivation, alongside a wide range of other fringe benefits, and in return have a labour turnover which is half that of most of their competitors. They should be viewed alongside the BBC’s series of three programmes about John Lewis and will be of greatest interest of all to any students who have part-time jobs at Waitrose or the department stores, as they stand to gain a 15% profit sharing bonus!
BBC News - John Lewis profits top £306m as staff share big bonus
The Guardian - At John Lewis, ‘happiness’ beats profit
Management Today - Booming Waitrose powers John Lewis to bumper profits
•Business Strategy - •Change Management - •Leadership & Culture - •Human Resource Management - •Operations Management - •Retailing - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS2 - •AQA BUSS4 -
Tags: recession, aqa, motivation, morrisons, waitrose, john lewis, fringe benefits, profit sharing
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Data watch - what happened to business investment in the UK recession?
A recession is typically associated with a reduction in business investment (capital expenditure). What does the data show in terms of the total capital spending by UK firms during the recent recession?
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•Business Strategy - •Credit Crunch - •Finance & Accounting - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: risk, cash flow, investment appraisal, roce, payback, capital expenditure, business investment, return on capital
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Data watch - what happened to consumer spending in the UK recession?
Putting to one side all the newspaper and tv stories of how consumers behaved during the recent recession in the UK, what does the data show? What were the real trends and how did consumers behave compared with the long preceding period of economic growth in the UK?
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•Economic Environment - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Data Analysis Worksheets - •Starters & Plenaries -
Tags: recession, gdp, consumer spending, savings ratio, disposable income, consumer confidence, durable goods, retail sales
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BUSS4 Research - a Corus of Disapproval
One more suggestion for colleagues looking to encourage students to pick a relevant case study for their BUSS4 research on the recent recession in the UK. Take a look at the Corus story over the last 18-24 months.
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•Business Strategy - •Economic Environment - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: demand, productivity, capacity, economies of scale, redundancies, corus, retrenchment, long-term, unions, steel making
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Strategy in a recession - stakeholders & cutting labour costs
During the recent recession in the UK, many firms looked to reduce their operating costs by implementing short-time working, overtime bans and temporary cuts in production capacity. What were the stakeholder implications of this? A key issue was what effect these actions had on employer/employee relations, and I came across this neat 4 minute video which addresses the issue. In the video, the General Secretary of the TUC discusses how trade unions felt about labour cost-minimisation strategies. Some good points for students to pick up in here:
View video interview with Brendan Barber (TUC) [source BBC Daily Politics]
•Business Ethics & CSR - •Business Strategy - •Economic Environment - •Human Resource Management - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: trade unions, tuc, labour costs, overtime, cost minimisation, production capacity, employee employer relations, brendan barber
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Whiteboard Challenge - Drawing UK GDP
Here’s a simple lesson activity which might get students thinking about the UK recession in the context of the longer-term performance of the economy. It might add a bit of spicy competition to the start of a lesson too..
read more...» •Economic Environment - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Starters & Plenaries -
Tags: recession, gdp, economic cycle, uk economy, economic growth, business cycle, boom
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BUSS4 Toolkit June 2010 - Publication Date Update
We’re almost there with our BUSS4 Research Toolkit for June 2010 / Jan 2011. The publication date is now Monday 8 March 2010. More details here…
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Recession strategy - what happens when a market dives by 30%+?
Hays Group plc is a great case study example to use with students if you want to look at a recession strategy where market demand falls significantly. We’ve put some numbers together which will help you use Hays as a lesson resource.
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•Business Strategy - •Finance & Accounting - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, cost minimisation, opportunities, hays group
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Management pay is squeezed during the recession
There have been some interesting surveys on the effects of the recession on people management in the last couple of months. This one from Hay Group is useful for students in that it highlights one of the operational effects of the recession - this time on the remuneration of senior business management.
read more...» •Human Resource Management - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: stakeholders, quoted companies, bonuses, executive pay, remuneration committee
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HRM priorities as firms exit the recession
What should a firm’s people management priorities be as the UK & global economy slowly emerges from recession? The Institute of Employment studies has just published its suggestions…
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Leadership & Culture - •Human Resource Management - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, training, flexible working, organisational structure, workforce planning, staff retention, labour turnover, hrm strategies, hrm objectives
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Strategy in a recession - cost optimisation not cost minimisation
The quick fix is easy. The economy worsens and customer confidence plummets. Monthly sales begin to decline; fewer customers respond to the direct mail shot or visit the shops. The word goes out after the latest board meeting. All functional budgets are to be cut by 10% as a strategic response to the economic crisis. But does it work? Or should a business take a much more strategic approach to cost management?
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Finance & Accounting - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, efficiency, investment appraisal, adding value, cost control, overheads, open-source, cost minimisation, cloud computing, outsourcing
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An interesting way to describe the Business Cycle
Not really an activity but I asked my students to think about how they would describe the Business Cycle to a 10 year old. One student came up with this brilliant description…
read more...» •Economic Environment - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Starters & Plenaries -
Tags: recession, unemployment, business cycle, slump, recovery, boom
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Strategy in a recession - Don’t Panic Mr Mainwaring!
One of the key lessons from the recent recession is a need for firms to take a much closer look at how their business really operates. Those that really knew their business - their strengths and weaknesses (their competitive position) - have usually been able to respond successfully. Those that were caught by surprise have been badly hurt, or worse.
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•Business Strategy - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, strategy, cash flow, market share, adding value, market demand, competitive advantage, overheads, cost minimisation, competitive position
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Strategy in a recession - global innovators keep investing
Another cracking (though detailed) research report on the strategies of global innovators has arrived in my inbox. Booz & Company’s 5th annual survey of 1,000 leading global players has some fascinating insights into the strategic response to the recession. I have summarised some of the key learning points for students below.
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•Business Strategy - •Marketing - •Operations Management - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, innovation, investment appraisal, booz & company, return on investment, r&d;new product development
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BUSS4 Essay Technique - PEEing throughout the Paper
In this part of our guide to BUSS4 essay technique, I’ll suggest an acronym (PEE) which students may find effective in helping them build a well-constructed and argued essay.
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•Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS4 - •TEACHING BUSINESS -
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Strategy in the UK Recession - What 69 UK CEOs Did About It
There are some fascinating surveys coming out at the moment, and another one has just landed in my inbox from my former colleagues at PricewaterhouseCoopers. This one - the UK Snapshot from the 13th Annual Global CEO Survey - is a fantastic research resource for students preparing for BUSS4 in June 2010 and January 2011.
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•Business Ethics & CSR - •Business Strategy - •Economic Environment - •Environment & Business - •Finance & Accounting - •Leadership & Culture - •Marketing - •Human Resource Management - •Operations Management - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS4 -
Tags: motivation, efficiency, culture, organic growth, organisational structure, leadership, acquisitions, risk management, marketing strategy, change management
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Cash management becomes a strategic priority during the recent recession
Effective cash and working capital management has become a key strategic priority during the last 12-18 months according to a major survey of over 300 companies by accountants KPMG.
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•Business Strategy - •Credit Crunch - •Finance & Accounting - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: stakeholders, stocks, cash flow, working capital, inventories, cash flow management, creditors, debtors
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Marketing in a recession: more focus on brand advertising and product enhancements
Here is another example to add to Jim’s blog entries this week about the value of increasing marketing spend during a recession: according to Flexnews, Kellogg’s reported that it is increasing its spending on advertising this year as a means of re-investment in its brands. Its spending in 2009 was already a massive 9% of its $12.6 billion in global net sales revenue, compared to an estimate of only 5% for its nearest competitor, and the company also reports that, with ‘deflation’ in media (ie reduced costs for using the media) then the value that they can get from that spending is enhanced. Chief Operating Officer John Bryant also said that, having tripled their spending on advertising in social media such as Facebook, they will continue to focus on this area. In order to convince customers of the added value from Kelloggs’ products there is also strong emphasis on renovating their portfolio of products to reflect the importance of nutrition and health. The company is working to reduce trans fatty acids, salt and sugar in foods and also identified the need to add fibre in its breakfast cereals, with studies showing that 9 out of 10 children in the US do not eat enough fibre in their diets.
•Business Strategy - •Marketing - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS4 -
Tags: investment, food, kelloggs, advertising, branding, added value, social media
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Michael Porter on the importance of long-term strategic thinking in a recession
The first four minutes of this press conference with Prof Michael Porter make a really important point for students considering the issue of short-term actions versus long-term plans when it comes to business strategy in the recession.
read more...» •Business Strategy - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: michael porter, long-term, strategic direction, short-term
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Customers have changed during the recession - how does marketing respond?
This ten-minute video interview from Harvard Business School would make for a challenging, but potentially rewarding, lesson resource for students researching how the global recession has altered consumer behaviour. It covers some pretty fundamental ground in terms of market segmentation and the role of marketing strategy during an economic downturn. Whilst focused on the US consumer markets, the points raised by Profession John Quelch are highly relevant to UK students.
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•Business Strategy - •Marketing - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, market segmentation, added value, adding value, marketing strategy
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Strategies for the Recession - Insights from Six Restaurant Group CEOs
I came across a super series of CEO interviews in Restaurant Magazine’s online edition whilst doing some research yesterday. Its real gold standard material for anyone wanting to gain some real-life insights into how businesses focus their strategy during a recession. I’ve highlighted some of the key quotes, issues and ideas below, together with links to the interviews themselves if students want to take a more detailed look. My emphases are in bold.
Looking through the interviews one more time, I picked up the follow key lessons for strategy:
* A recession is no time to allow quality standards to fall - customers expect the same or better quality for the same or a lower price. Customer expectations are rising.
* In consumer-facing markets, value-for-money is what customers really want
* Early, decisive action is key - as is management’s ability to hold their nerve in uncertain times. Leadership is therefore key.
* Customers will remain loyal - but they expect a business to do even more to earn their loyalty! Constant two-way communication and feedback with/from customers is vital
* Don’t cut back on investment in innovation - if the brand is built on innovation, keep investing
* Focus on the three P’s of management in a recession: people (training), promotion & product
* Pricing - keep it reasonable and accept a slightly lower profit during the downturn
* Drive costs down - but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater
Rated: (5/5), based on 1 review
•Business Strategy - •Leisure, Travel & Tourism - •Marketing - •Operations Management - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, productivity, strategy, training, efficiency, supply chain, customer service, sales promotion, buss4, cost minimisation
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BUSS4 - winning insights into recession strategy from annual reports
Newspaper articles are ok, but you can’t beat the annual reports of larger companies to get some more detailed, useful insights into the effects of the recession on UK firms and their strategic response.
read more...» •Business Strategy - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, buss4, annual reports
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A CEO’s take on the effect of the recession on UK restaurants
The Restaurant Group plc operates several hundred mid-market restaurants in the UK, trading under familiar names such as Frankie & Benny’s, Chiquito and Garfunkels. I came across a really useful piece of research evidence whilst looking through their Annual Report and Trading Statement for 2008 in which the CEO of the business outlines the potential effects of the UK recession on strategy - and how the recession is viewed as a net positive for the business!
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•Business Strategy - •Leisure, Travel & Tourism - •Retailing - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, unemployment, employment, interest rates, market share, barriers to entry, consumer spending, restaurants, market positioning, the restaurant group
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Top ten brand values
For those who love lists, the Daily Telegraph features the top ten most valuable brands in the world, headed by Walmart which is valued at $41.4bn. The top ten does feature two British brands - HSBC and Vodafone - and you have to wonder how long Toyota will be able to remain at number ten, with the constant drain on their reputation of more and more recalls.
The list is compiled by BrandDirectory, which is “an online encyclopedia of brands where financial results, visual identities, trademark histories and the latest marketing news will be compiled and shared” - you can use it to research thousands of brands, by name, by country and by sector. Brand values are calculated as “the net present value of the estimated future cash flows attributable to the Brand”. For example a look at their record for M&S shows that their brand value is reckoned to have risen over the last year from $3,640 to $4,285, and the website gives their market capitalisation for the last 2 years as well. This could be worth using for students researching the recent experience of particular brands in relation to their preparation for the BUSS4 unit.
•Economic Environment - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS4 -
Tags: branding, brand values
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Marketing strategy in a recession - is attack better than defence?
The classic strategic marketing response to a recession is to cut the marketing budget. But is this the best action for a firm looking to address the threats and exploit the opportunities in a downturn? In what circumstances might it be appropriate for a firm to increase marketing spending in the face of worsening market conditions and falling sales?
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•Business Strategy - •Marketing - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, market share, marketing mix, promotion, pricing strategy, marketing strategy
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Advertising in the recession - perfect storm or perfect opportunity?
2010 looks like it might be the year when the UK advertising industry emerges from its worst slump since detailed records were started in 1982. According to the Advertising Association, total advertising spend in the UK is expected to increase by 2.8% in the third quarter of 2010, the first increase since the start of 2008.
The recession in the UK has been particularly painful for businesses that rely on advertising income. For those businesses that see the decline in advertising rates and costs as an opportunity to get better value for money and build their customer base, the recession couldn’t have come at a better time! Hence, the strategic implication of the advertising slump as either a “perfect storm or perfect opportunity” as mentioned in the AA announcement.
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Marketing - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, advertising, itv, online advertising, domino's uk
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Branded coffee shops prove resilient to the UK recession
A very useful article in the Feb 2010 edition of Cafe Culture (the trade magazine for the cafe industry) has explained what a winning strategy has been in the UK coffee shop market during the recession.
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Marketing - •Retailing - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, starbucks, brands, organic growth, branding, costa coffee, caffe nero, price promotion, like-for-like, coffee shops
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Is the cost-conscious UK consumer here to stay?
One of the attractions of researching the UK retail industry is that is rarely a shortage of useful data which can help to spot trends and issues. Take the amount that UK consumers spend on eating out…
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Leisure, Travel & Tourism - •Retailing - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: productivity, efficiency, adding value, cost-minimisation, fast food, profit margins
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Recession turns the UK into a fast-food nation
An interesting way to measure the winners and losers of the recent recession in the UK is to examine what has happened on the ground in the retail sector. One annual survey which paints an interesting picture of how the recession has changed Retail Britain is conducted by the Local Data Company, which sends its researchers walking around the UK’s largest towns and cities marking which retailers are trading.
read more...» •Retailing - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, market share, mcdonalds, organic growth, dominos, burger king, pret a manger, fast food, eat
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Recession Buster - Dominos On the March
Students looking for a suitable strategy case study to research how a business can take advantage of the opportunities presented by the recent recession in the UK would do well to spend some time looking at Dominos UK.
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•Business Strategy - •E-Business & E-Commerce - •Marketing - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: franchise, organic growth, dominos, pizza, growth strategy, fast food, dominos uk
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Managing a recruitment business through the recession
The recruitment sector has taken many hard knocks during the recent recession in the UK. As firms look to reduce their headcount (or at least minimise their payroll costs), their demand for recruitment agency services is bound to fall.
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•Business Strategy - •Credit Crunch - •Human Resource Management - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: demand, recruitment, emerging markets, cost reduction, cost minimisation, hays plc, service sector
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Can Greggs Become the Skoda of Pies?
This is a great article for Business students. The Times describes how bakers chain Greggs (which has prospered during the UK recession) is trying to reposition its brand as the UK comes out of recession.
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•Business Strategy - •Marketing - •Retailing - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: starbucks, pricing, branding, added value, pricing strategy, greggs, pret a manger, reposition
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Strategic reaction to the UK recession - notes and observations
Looking back through the archive of special features in the FT during 2009, I’m struck by the excellent depth of insights into the effects of, and reaction to the recession from a strategic perspective. I’ve jotted down some notes from several articles and I’ll add them here as I read through the articles…
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•Business Strategy - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, innovation, strategy, growth, capacity utilisation, buss4, cost reduction, cost minimisation
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UK companies conserve cash in the recession - bad news for shareholders?
“Cash is king” in a recession and in 2009 UK companies took the opportunity to retain as much cash as possible by reducing the level of dividend payments by around £10 billion (or 15%) compared with 2008.
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Finance & Accounting - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, shareholders, cash flow, dividends, retained profit, cash flow management
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Strategies in a recession - pay freezes stay in place
One of the key actions taken by many businesses in response to the recent recession in the UK was to negotiate (or impose) pay freezes. A very useful article on the BBC reports the findings of a new survey from the Labour Research Department of negotiated pay deals done with trade unions in the UK which suggests that pay freezes are likely to remain a key feature of business life during 2010.
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Finance & Accounting - •Human Resource Management - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, wages, labour costs, pay freeze
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Business strategies as we emerge from the recession
A quick heads up on a five-part, daily series in the FT this coming week which examines the strategic options for UK businesses as they emerge from the recession.
It starts with a look at how business and marketing planning has been made harder for B2C firms by the increasingly unpredictable nature of UK consumers.
“In a series of investigations over the next five days, the Financial Times will examine the dilemmas companies face – from how to get finance to what to do about supply chains and opportunities for green business”
People without a subscription to FT.com will probably hit the FT’s paywall with this link, but here it is anyway. Might be worth getting the FT print edition this week for this series though.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/54ac38da-1406-11df-8847-00144feab49a,s01=1.html
•Business Strategy - •Marketing - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS3 - •AQA BUSS4 - •Edexcel Unit 4a - •OCR F297 -
Tags: recession, sources of finance, consumer spending, decision-making, consumer behaviour, green markets
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Important Notice: BUSS2 & BUSS4 Workshops in London - A Change in Venue
An important note for colleagues bringing students to our intensive one-day revision workshops for AQA BUSS2 & BUSS4 in London on Tuesday 27 April. Due to overwhelming demand, we have decided to switch the venue a couple of miles away to the brand new Vue Cinema complex at the stunning Westfield Shopping Centre. This change provides several advantages:
- We are able to run two screens for both BUSS2 & BUSS4 on the same day
- The Vue Cinema at Westfield is Europe’s most advanced cinematic experience - the quality of the venue simply can’t be beaten
- There is fantastic parking & other transport access to the Westfield location: much better than our old venue at Fulham Broadway
- The student catering options at Westfield are superb too: we’ll be providing a buffet lunch for all teachers attending
We will notify the centres who have already made provisional bookings for London. Please note - it is just a change of venue - not date.
Even allowing for the increased capacity, we are now 95% full at Westfield. Whilst provisional bookings do change, I would urge anyone intending to bring students to the AQA days to make a provisional booking this week. The best way is to use this online form:
http://tutor2u.wufoo.com/forms/aqa-business-revision-workshops-aprilmay-2010/
•Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS2 - •AQA BUSS4 -
Tags: buss2, buss4, revision workshops, philip allan updates, time2resources, atoz training
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UK Recession - Some Winners and Losers
Here’s a useful stimulus resource from the Telegraph that would be good scene-setter for students embarking upon their research for BUSS4 in June 2010 / Jan 2011. The article attempts to identify a series of winners and losers from the recent recession in the UK. Its a mixture of personalities, businesses and industries. But useful none-the-less
View Winners and Losers from the UK Recession
•Credit Crunch - •Economic Environment - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS4 -
Tags: recession, buss4
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AQA BUSS2 & BUSS4 Revision Workshops in April & May 2010 (New Venues Added!)
Provisional bookings can now be made for our popular programme of intensive one-day revision workshops for AQA AS Business (BUSS2) and A2 Business (BUSS4) in late April 2010 and early May 2010. As you may be aware, AtoZ Training are no longer running Spring conferences , so we expect that our AQA revision days will be heavily over-subscribed. As a result, we’ve added three new venues to the programme - Leeds, Newcastle & Belfast. We are also attempting to add overflow capacity to our London, Manchester, Bristol and Birmingham days.
Here are some details of how to ensure that your students are able to attend the best revision days available for AQA Business Studies - BUSS2 & BUSS4.
read more...» •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS2 - •AQA BUSS4 -
Tags: philip allan, ebea, aqa business, marcouse, buss2, buss4, revision workshops, a to z training, apt initiatives, aqa business revision
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AQA BUSS4 - Research Theme for 2010 - UK Recession
The AQA BUSS4 research theme for the June 2010 and January 2011 sittings has been released. The theme is The Recent Recession in the UK.
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•Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS4 - •TEACHING BUSINESS -
Tags: buss4, apt initiatives, time2resources, the recent recession in the uk, aqa buss4, buss4 research theme, aqa a2 business studies
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Companies that thrived in the UK recession - theme activity
The UK recession had many losers, but some winning businesses and industries too.
Can you identify any themes in this ist from MSN Money? The link has a brief write-up on each, although they lack in genuine analysis they might serve as a starter activity:
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Credit Crunch - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, strategy
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Recession Tracker for UK Economic Data
As students entering AQA BUSS 4 start on their research into the Recent UK Recession, they may like to use this BBC Recession Tracker to get to grips with the latest data on GDP, inflation, interest rates, jobs and house prices. It is updated every time a new piece of data is released and has links to useful related articles like ‘GDP Explained’ and ‘Understanding Inflation’.
read more...» •Credit Crunch - •Economic Environment - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, unemployment, inflation, gdp, interest rates, uk economy, economic growth, buss4
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Opportunities for Poundland in the recession
Students taking AQA BUSS4 this summer are asked to research the recent recession in the UK, and the first research bullets requires students to consider “how the recession can create opportunities and threats for businesses and industries”
Here the BBC are reporting that Poundland and other everything-for-a-pound stores are expanding fast from 380 stores ten years ago to 742 at the end of 2009.
read more...»Rated: (2/5), based on 1 review
•Credit Crunch - •Retailing - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, aqa, opportunities
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Video case study - substitute goods benefiting from the recession
A cracking little video from BBC Look North featured some typically gritty Northern characters, some low-priced rabbits and a chimney sweep - the perfect combination for a business studies resource. The video is particularly useful as a way of illustrating how the recession encouraged consumers to switch their demand to substitute goods that offered better value for money. Personally, I prefer stewing steak to rabbit anyday, but I’m a convert to the idea of repairing products rather than simply disposing of them and buying new…
Download student worksheet (pdf) and video link
•Credit Crunch - •Economic Environment - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Video Case Studies -
Tags: recession, demand, price
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9 business survival tips for getting through the recession
Businesses were not short of advice - good, bad and downright daft - for getting through the recession. This piece in the Telegraph had some pretty sensible suggestions for what entrepreneurs and managers needed to do…
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Credit Crunch - •Finance & Accounting - •Marketing - •Small Businesses - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, downturn
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Strategy in a recession - Fusion Systems
A terrific article and audio interview clip on the BBC site that makes a great resource for business students preparing for AQA BUSS4 (UK Recession)…
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Credit Crunch - •Finance & Accounting - •Marketing - •Retailing - •Small Businesses - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, demand, downturn, stocks, working capital, fusion systems
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Business priorities in a recession
Some great articles below are well worth reading to provide insights into how firms amended their strategies during the recession…
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Credit Crunch - •Economic Environment - •Operations Management - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, demand, economics, costs, confidence
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Flexible working thrives in the recession
A very useful article in the Guardian takes a look at how flexible working arrangements thrived during the UK recession as employers tried to find ways of reducing production capacity and operating costs without always resorting to compulsory redundancies…
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Credit Crunch - •Human Resource Management - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS3 -
Tags: recession, aqa, costs, production, capacity, british airways, barclays, kpmg, flexible working
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